Savage Heart
by ClearSkies-L
Summary: Ally lives in a town under siege by a horrendous monster. People around her live in fear, desperately holding onto their sanity. What happens when they find a familiar soldier living in the clutches of the jungle? Will Ally be able tame him, return him to his former glory? AU and a bit OOC. Rated T for swearing.
1. Prologue

**This is kind of an idea I just thought of, if this idea has ever been used, it's a pure coincident. Tell me what you guys think of it! **

**I don't own Austin and Ally(or anything else you recognized)**

* * *

_2 years ago_

The hall was filled with placid stillness. In the midst of all the blur of events for the past year, the people had hoped some light would be shone on the topic.

It was horrible. They were afraid of leaving their safe haven, their only home. Nobody wanted to know what was out there, what was causing all the conflict. Only the bravest soldiers stood up to go and fight whatever was out there. The town was gathering for any news on them. No news of them had been heard yet, and if there was anything, the Overlord only knew.

With a heavy heart the balding man stepped onto the podium. The tension in the room was lingering above everyone's heads. People all ages, young or old came out to this important speaking.

"Habitants of Swamp Creek," the man started. "As you all know, we are facing a difficult situation right now. Many people do not know what exactly is going on, so I will clear that up."

Peering at the crowd with his intense eyes, he started his explanation.

"It's true that there is a horrendous beast on the loose outside of Swamp Creek." Several people gasped. "It is nothing to worry about, however, because our walls are impenetrable by the monster. Ten of our bravest, most skilled fighters are out there, hunting down the creature that is filling our lives with terror, consuming our very thoughts. I have no updates as of now, I can't guarantee anything. But we all have to have hope. This...this beast is limiting our freedom, and we will not go down without a fight."

The mayor's eyes were intense, determination was clear on his face. He silently stepped down from the podium, his speech sparking hope within the souls of the residents.

Chatter broke out as people's thoughts and opinions circulated. One by one, people started leaving the tremendous hall. Soon, the area was cleared off...almost.

Out of all people, one brunette was left.

Left staring at the podium with tears glistening in her chocolate coloured eyes.

* * *

**Hi guys! This is kind of a preview, I just am experimenting with this idea. This is just kind of a prologue so...yah. **

**So, if ya care, review and tell me whether I should continue or not:)**


	2. Intro

**I am sorry guys! As you all know, school has started and I barely get time on here so...it's kinda hard updating. **

**I'm just going to go right into the story!**

* * *

The wind rolls by as I peacefully sit near the lake. It's the one area that hasn't been touched outside of the borders. It's tranquil, and is the perfect place for me to go to when things are stressing me out.

Of course, I never get caught. I'd be in big trouble if my dad found out I was sneaking out here regularly. He still thinks I'm a little girl, even if I am well over twenty and fully capable of defending myself. I'm surprised he hasn't found out yet. I was pretty sure he would have someone spying on me, making sure I don't do anything wrong.

I sit for a while, mindlessly staring at the lake. Then, the sun starts dipping lower, its light slightly dimming.

That's my cue to leave.

Outside the borders of my town, Swamp Creek, being outside in the dark is dangerous. If you wanted to travel overnight, you were thought as suicidal.

Sinister creatures lurk in the shadows, waiting for their next prey. Danger is written out on every tree, anything could pop out at you. Even some of the bravest of men cower in fear! Though, I don't blame them.

I quietly slip on my sweater and start walking briskly. The temperature has already started to decline, I'm shivering with every step. I then see a tall, simple chain fence, and I knew exactly what to do.

I grabbed on and started to clamber up the fence. Once I reached the top, I vaulted over to the other side. Regaining my balance, I started walking, making sure nobody saw me. When I reached an alleyway, I relaxed.

If I was ever caught near the borders, my dad would definitely get suspicious.

You could say I was kind of a bad-ass.

I would say that I just wanted my freedom. I hate the thought of staying in the exact same spot all my life. Others think that it is much safer than travelling. _Th__ose people absolutely LOVE living here. _

Me, not so much. And it's all because of my dad._  
_

Even if my dad was the mayor, I didn't care. There's only one damn reason I stay in this cage.

...

...

"Ally! Come check this out!" one of my coworkers, and my best friend Trish exclaimed.

"Trish, if this is one of your pranks..." I started.

"No really Ally! Come check this out!"

I sigh and got up from the table I was working on. I slowly lurched over to Trish, who was crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Hurry up!" she muttered, impatient.

As soon as I picked up my pace, she started grinning so wide I thought her jaw would unhinge. When I reached her table, I stared at the laptop that was on it. It was a picture of her holding a cute little pug...

"It's Jace's new puppy. He said that he picked a pug because it is my favourite type of dog. Isn't he sooooo cute?!" Trish gushed. I smirked at her, and she looked confused when she saw my face.

"When you say he is cute, did you mean the dog or Jace?" I teased.

"Ally!" Her cheeks flushed a crimson red. "I meant the dog!"

Trish has always liked Jace ever since we turned eighteen. She has liked him for two years already. It's so frustrating watching them two act so couple-y, and they don't even realize it! I'm like 99.99999999999999999% sure both of them like each other. There is only one thing that separates them.

Denial.

I rolled my eyes at her, muttering a "yeah right" before turning and getting back to work. There isn't much to do around here, everyday is the same thing. I guess working in the "weird psychological department" wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be.

2 years wasted getting a master's degree.

The worst thing is, I'm the head of this stupid department.

And yes, "weird psychological department" is the real name of the department.

I sighed and got up. _I could use a little stretch right now_.

Then, from my peripheral vision, I could see Kira Starr rushing through the door in her high heels. She looked really nervous about something. She locked her gaze on me and mouthed something along the line of "thank God". She then started speed-walking towards me.

"Ally, you have to hide me!" Kira exclaimed frantically. I looked up to my friend in confusion. She had a desperate expression on her face.

"What happened? Who are you hiding from?" I interrogated.

"It's Wayn...he's freaking me out!"

"I swear, if that asshole touched you..." I growled.

"No-he didn't. I just need to hide from him!"

Looking up, I quickly scanned the room. There was no suitable place to hide except...

"Hide under my desk. I'll put the cover on so he can't see you."

She quickly nodded and dove under the desk. Wayne was a...special case. He was notorious for being one of those guys who flirt-fuck-ditch. He really disgusts me, and trust me when I say he is vain in every way possible. Since Kira, I, and my other friends actually have dignity and common sense, we avoid guys like these.

But this one is hell-bent on getting to Kira. He's even claimed he isn't the arrogant douche we think he is. That's all bullshit because he still doesn't know the first thing about being a gentleman (and he stalks people).

"Hey Ally," Wayn's voice interrupts my thoughts. "Have you seen Kira?"

"No, I haven't," I reply, trying to keep my poker face on. "I'm sorry Wayn. Maybe check the lobby...I have no clue."

When he is out of earshot, I quickly call security so it's ensured he doesn't come back in. He shouldn't have been able to access the office in the first place. Probably told the receptionist that he was here to meet me.

He's a lying jerk too.

I remove the desk cover, letting Kira out. I then turn and start working again.

* * *

**So...that chapter was just a filler. I will eventually get to the juicy parts but for now, this will have to do.**

**Reviews are ALWAYS appreciated. Tell me what you liked and what you didn't like!**


	3. Flashbacks

"Ally...Ally!" Trish's voice snapped me out of my trance. "I've been calling you for the last minute! Is there something wrong?" I shook my head and rubbed my temples.

"I'm sorry Trish, I'm just unfocused today." I muttered, still drawing circles into my head.

"It's because of him, isn't it?"

"Who?" I asked in a demanding manner. Trish just frowned and shook her head. I watched as she walked away, turning back to her work. I..._we _still had five minutes left in our shift. I can't wait to get back to my apartment and relax. Today is one of those off-days for me. I wake up, I have a headache, I figure out my fridge is nearly empty. I had to make a quick run to the store in the morning.

Wow. Even my thoughts sound incoherent.

My mind wants to betray me today. As I drive home, my thoughts are consumed by memories of when I was younger. One particular memory stands out, one I can't get out of my head...

_Flashback_

_"Ally honey, stop bouncing around! I can't keep track of you!" my mother exclaimed._

_"But mommy, I'm so excited! We have our own music store now!" a younger me yelled. "Wait until I tell Trish, Dez, and..."_

_A loud crash came from somewhere in the back. I looked up to my mother with wide eyes. At a younger age, I could read her expression, even if she gave the illusion of being calm. Nobody would miss the way she gulped in fear._

_"Ally, I want you to go upstairs. Don't say a word, don't ask me why, just go hide." she said with a shaking voice._

_Flashback ends_

I gripped the steering wheel tighter and tighter as I arrived at my place. At that point, my knuckles turned white.

That day, I had lost my mother. I hid in the closet upstairs in the store when she was murdered. We kept the store, Sonic Boom, but the despondency was too much to handle. Business was failing, but we still managed. My dad had then run for mayor, and shut down the entire business. Isolation then became a thing he inflicted on me often. Shutting me out, not spending much time with me...all that shit.

I didn't realize that tears were rolling down my face by then. I dragged myself out of my car and slugged home. I don't live in a really fancy place, just a simple apartment that can house me, myself, and I. Then, my cell phone started ringing.

_Call from Kira Starr_

"Hi Kira...what's up?" I groggily ask.

"Hey, do you want to come over right now? Trish is coming too." she said.

"I'm not really feeling it right now. Maybe later?"

"Oh come one Ally! Don't try to find excuses. You know that it's because of him. It's been two years Ally, let him go! He won't come back, he's long gone. It's hard seeing you mope because he disappeared during this time of year." Kira sounded really flustered and angry. I grit my teeth in an attempt to calm down.

"I don't know who you are talking about." I replied with a firm tone.

"Come on! Austin? Austin Moon? The guy who disappeared two years ago, like I just explained? One of your best friends?" Kira blurted.

"Kira, I really don't want to have this conversation now."

"Ally, I care about you. I really do! You _need_ to let go of him. He has disappeared, and is probably dead. I _know_ that you were extremely close to him, and it must have been hard on you, but he's gone." she concluded.

For a few minutes there was silence. Then, the long monotone drone of the cut line buzzed in my ears.

...

...

_A few months later..._

The sun shone bright in my eyes, blinding me with a yellow light. I didn't have to read the time in order to know it was well past ten o'clock. I just...knew. As always, I looked at my calendar because I NEVER knew what day it was.

Saturday.

A small smile creeped onto my face until I realized what the date was. I glanced over to the calendar again and figured that it was October 24 today.

Awww.

There's nothing to do today. Bummer.

So, I did what any normal person would do. I walked over to the fridge, snatched a tub of ice cream, and slumped on the couch. As I got comfortable, I realized that I forgot to retrieve the tv remote. I groaned out loud. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I didn't want to get out of my comfy position, nor did I want to sit without watching tv...

I tried using the force to pick up the remote (don't laugh, all of us have tried that at some point!). Of course, there was no luck. Suddenly, it was like a lightbulb lit in my brain. I took a pillow and stretch out, not enough to lose my spot, but enough to reach the far end of the table. I swiped the pillow across the table...

Bingo! The remote landed right in my hand.

My goodness. So much of a hassle for a simple remote...

What? I get lazy on Saturdays, it's not my fault.

I flipped through a series of channels, finding nothing that seemed interesting. Saturday morning shows are usually crammed with a bunch of stupid cartoons. Not that I'm saying cartoons are stupid, I just don't like watching them anymore. Instead, I stopped at a channel that had _Wizard of Oz_ **(1)** playing. You know, the original movie. The only part ai hate is the fact Dorothy has ruby red shoes.

All the real fans know the shoes are actually silver.**(2)**

For some reason today, I didn't enjoy the movie as much as I usually do when I watch it.

When my phone rang, I was kind of angry at the caller for interrupting my movie. _Trish_. I lazily peeled myself off the couch and picked it up.

"Hey Trish. What's up?" I asked.

"Ally, you have to come down to the department. It's really urgent," Trish rambled. My stomach lurched. Trish almost never takes things seriously unless it was important. It just wasn't her thing. Something unusual was going on, and I just couldn't miss it.

So I slipped on my jacket and hurried out the door.

* * *

**Heyo! Thanks to all of you who take the time to read this story. And if you actually read my authors notes at the end...**

**YOU are just plain AWESOME.**

**I'm actually pretty proud of this chapter just because I finished writing it in two days. **

**Wow, that makes me seem pretty lazy :P**

**Anyway, PLEASE review and tell me what you liked and what you didn't. I always appreciate people who take the time to review. It really shows me you care.**

**Thanks again everyone! **


	4. Lost Man Found

_Where is everyone? _

I walked into the office, only to find nobody was there. Not a single living soul was sitting at a desk. Nobody was chatting, not one person found near the coffee machine.

In my brain, this was officially a code red situation.

At any time should you find our office abandoned, either there is something extremely interesting happening, or it's the apocalypse. I am not kidding about the apocalypse part, we work in the same building as their department. So if there is ever a deadly virus spreading around the world, we would be one of the first people to know!

That thought is utterly creepy.

I raced to the lobby, where I spotted Linda, the receptionist.

"Linda!" I gasped, out of breath. "Do you know where everyone is?" She let me catch my breath before she reacted to the question.

"They are all in Lab X," she answered with her posh British accent. My eyes widened when she said that. Lab X was rarely used, it was only when something interesting or shocking happened. Linda seemed oblivious to this, she continued typing on the computer.

I speeded to the elevator, as it was the only way to get to Lab X. When I arrived, Trish was there waiting for me. She looked at me with uneasiness.

"Ally..." Trish started. "I..I don't think you should come inside for now."

I chuckled. "Why not?" I questioned. "I need to know what's going on, and you aren't helping right now."

"I'm saying this for your own good."

"I don't need someone else to decide what is right and what is wrong for me." I stormed past Trish and opened the door, ignoring her cries of telling me to stop. I carefully tiptoed in the poorly lit hallway, until I came across another door. On the other side, I was greeted by Meggi, one of our research specialists.

"Meggi, tell me what happened here." I ordered. She was nervously chewing on her pencil, one of her habits when she gets emotional.

"It's...it's an interesting case really. We found this man living like a savage in the woods. We couldn't even recognize him...I mean, we had to dump buckets of water on his head to clear the amount of dirt covering him. If he had any family or friends, he clearly does not remember them, or even know of their existence. We think it's a severe case of trauma. Some of our people are rummaging through his belongings, trying to figure him out." she concluded.

"Have you run any tests on him yet?"

"No, we think he isn't in a stable condition so we can't run any tests."

"Good. Take me to this...savage." I hesitantly said.

"Okay, right this way."

...

...

To say I was feeling uncomfortable right now would be an understatement. As we walked through the tall, dark hallways, people stared.

They openly gawked at us, as if they hadn't expected me to actually come here.

Idiots. What did they expect?

Anyway, the sliding doors in front of us slid open. In the far side of the room, I could make out silhouettes of people surrounding another man who was sitting in a chair with his back towards me. As I walked up, my vision became clearer. The man in the chair who was restrained was tugging, lashing, doing anything he can to try to break free. He had familiar messy blonde hair...

My breath caught up in my throat. It...it can't be him.

I sprinted to the group of researchers. As I got there, they all quiet down and waited for further instructions.

I just ignored them and whirled the chair around to have a good look at the person.

He indeed had messy blonde hair, like I thought he did. His eyes were a fantastic shade of hazel. His height was something to take note of, he was incredibly tall. His features seemed chiseled and sharp under the light. He had a strong build, he was no weakling.

_Just like how I remembered him to look like._

"Austin," I faintly whispered.

He calmed down when he glanced at me. He then growled at me, unsure if whether I was a friend or foe. The animalistic look he had conveyed one message to me. He just simply forgot about me.

"Austin," I called, desperation clear in my voice. "It's me, Ally!" I moved forward inch by inch. He seemed surprised for a minute. I finally reached him, studying his face for any sign of recognition.

At this point, I didn't know exactly what I was doing. I reached out to Austin with my hand...

...and he tried to bite me.

Surprised, I stumbled backwards. Hot tears spilled down my cheek.

_He doesn't remember me. _

_He doesn't remember Ally Dawson._

_He thinks you are a threat to him._

I looked into his hazel orbs and failed to find a connection. This was not Austin Moon. Austin Moon had a warm and welcoming gaze, not a cold and cruel one. This was not the Austin I remember. This was absolutely NOT my best friend looking at me.

Overwhelmed by my thoughts, I acted on impulse.

I ran.

I ran away from everything.

...

...

I found Trish waiting for me at the doors. She immediately saw me, and gave me a sympathetic look. She rushed over to me.

"Ally..." she said slowly. "...we need to get you back to your apartment."

I nodded, trying to keep the fresh batch of tears from falling. Trish slowly took me by the hand, guiding me as I staggered to her car. I slumped against the seat, not caring to fasten my seatbelt. I closed my eyes, trying to forget about all that happened with Austin. No matter how hard I tried, he kept appearing in my mind.

I spent two whole years waiting for him. I spend two whole years mourning his disappearance, and he comes back. I haven't forgotten him in these two years, or his existence.

But he has forgotten me.

Trish nudges me out of the car, and accompanies me upstairs into my apartment. I just stand still, spacing out. She tells me to take a seat on the couch. I obey, but not before accidentally knocking a few things down, messing up my apartment. My eyes drop heavier and heavier. As the world fades away, as I slip out of consciousness, I can't help but hope I never wake up again.

* * *

**Bam! Another chapter done! I'm actually feeling quite sleepy right now.**

**What did you think about this chapter?**

**Please leave a review below, whether it's telling me how good something was, or criticizing my work.**

**Constructive criticism is welcome!**

**Until next time!**


	5. Just a dream?

I woke up groggily, like I always do. Pushing the covers off my body, I stretch my legs and yawn.

Fun fact, you don't yawn when you are sleepy. It's just your body's way of getting more oxygen...

_Whoa, where did that come from?!_

Shaking my head vigorously, I stumbled into the kitchen to get something to eat. I am going crazy, especially with that weird dream I had yesterday. Funny thing is, I remember it like it happened in real life. I usually have very vivid dreams, but this one is different from the rest.

I mean, the whole Austin thing was believable, I'll give it that. I figured it wasn't real because my apartment isn't messed up right now, and in my dream it looked like a tornado went through it.

In fact, my apartment is exceptionally neat right now! Like someone cleaned it recently.

I heaved a sigh moved to my fridge for some OJ and went along to grab pancake mix. Of course, I also brought out the maple syrup. I think back on how much I used to detest pancakes. But then Austin had me taste one of his homemade ones...

_Why do I keep thinking about him?!_

I had scarcely let a tear drop onto my face when my phone started buzzing.

I let out another sigh and picked up my phone from the table counter. _Message from Dad._ I furrowed my brows in confusion. What could he possibly want from me? Did I do something wrong? Or worse, did he figure out that I sneak out of the boundaries without his permission sometimes? The message read:

_Please meet me at my office. You need to be there, it's very important._

I quickly finished up my breakfast and got dressed.

...

...

"My name is Ally Dawson. Lester Dawson has requested me," I explained. I don't know why I keep introducing myself to the receptionists. They all know me, I know them. Apparently it's proper protocol, and I HAVE to follow it.

This particular receptionist was eyeing me like I was some alien. I had to clench my fists in order to control myself from doing something I would regret. I absolutely hate when people judge you when they barely know you!

I marched down the hall to the one room that harboured my dad right now. I can practically see him impatiently tapping his foot, waiting.

I entered his office. Under his scrutinizing gaze, I felt vulnerable. Exposed. I'm pretty sure he found out about my escaping and bypassing the walls of the town. But then again, I've never seen my dad as serious as I have ever seen him. He can't possibly be talking about something as minor as visiting the lake...

His face immediately softened when he started talking.

"Ally, do you remember what happened yesterday?" he cautiously asked.

"Not really," I mumbled.

"Do you recall the encounter with Austin you had yesterday?"

My eyes went wide, almost bugging out of their sockets. "That...I thought that was a dream! It's not actually...he's still..." I stuttered. "...Alive?"

I let it all sink in. It wasn't a dream. In fact, what I thought was a figment of my imagination was actually reality. The harsh facts hit me right in the face. Nothing changes the fact that he doesn't remember me anymore.

"Ally..." he started, with a pitiful look in his eyes. "I am so sorry honey..."

I blinked once, twice, three times. I studied my dad's face for any sign of untruthfulness. He was completely sincere when he said that. For the first time in years, it felt like he actually cared for me. I felt...loved. Cared for.

He hesitantly got up and stopped before me, unsure of what he wanted to do. By now, my face was damp with tears. Dad wrapped his arms around me, comforting me in a fatherly way.

"Ally, the council wants you to help with bringing Austin's memory back. Considering the situation, I think you should decide whether or not you want to. I'm not going to force you to do anything." he rambled.

I pulled away from the hug and thought deeply for a minute. I had to do this. No matter how much heart break it would be for me...I would have to endure it. I would do anything for Austin. I had waited too long, suffered too much to give up now.

"Yes," came my shaky answer.

"Ally, are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," I said, this time, more confidently.

"I don't want you getting hurt, Ally. If this is what you want, I'm not going to stop you. I know how much Austin meant to you-"

"-means to me-" I cut in, slightly annoyed at his choice of words.

"I know how much Austin means to you. If you think you are ready to take on this, you can, by all means, go ahead."

I nodded grimly. After thirty seconds of silence, I was dismissed and exited. I guess all these years my dad really DID care about me. He probably just didn't know how to show it. Plus, the timing was exceptionally awful. And then I just kept pushing him away...

Oh my God. I have been a selfish little brat for the past three years.

I hope my dad finds it in him to forgive me...

...

...

I sat at home, debating whether or not I should call Trish. I was being a bitch to her yesterday, and I really wanted to apologize. I heaved a sigh. I would have to do it sooner or later, and I didn't want Trish to think I will being an airhead. I dialled her number, and waited as the phone rang for what seemed like forever.

"Hello?" I heard Trish say, her words slurred. She was probably taking a nap right now. I remember how she used to take naps at the many jobs she would hold down. It was ridiculous, she got fired every three days or so! She has changed her habits, but I guess some things just don't change...

"Erm...Trish..it's Ally..." I struggled to say.

"Ally! Oh my God!" I could hear the relief and concern in her voice.

"Trish...I..I am so sorry for yesterday. I just...don't know what came over me. Honestly, I was stupid."

"Ally, I totally understand what happened yesterday. It's OK."

I could hear her smile (it sounds weird but it's true). We sat and talked about random things for twenty minutes, give or take. When she hung up, I looked at the time.

I have a meal to cook.

* * *

**Yeah, yeah. I know. Really crappy ending. **

**I feel like a horrible person taking so long to update, it feels like it has been a month. But then again school and stuff...I think I am just overreacting but...yeah.**

**Anyway, tell me what you liked and didn't like. I always love reading your reviews! They are very positive and supportive! Thank you to everyone who has followed, favourited, or reviewed! **

**This seems really cheesy, but when someone works really hard to update stories, feedback and response really brings a smile to the person's face.**

**Keep Smiling ;)**


	6. Testing

I sat in the back of the taxi cab. I was way too tired today to drive by myself. No kidding, my eyes were drooping. I even took a quick power nap just minutes after I climbed into the taxi. The driver was a middle aged man, looked thirty but somehow looked young at the same time. I don't even know why I bother noticing these little things. I've always been an observer, especially when I am alone.

The world is like a movie, and I am a mere spectator.

It then hit me that today was the day I would have to work with Austin. I slunk lower in the seat. I realized I might be lying to myself about being able to handle the heartbreak.

_What if he never remembers me?_

_What if he hates me?_

_What if he tries biting me again?_

All of these possibilities haunted me. It's one thing having him lost and never to be found. Having Austin brought back to me after two years of restlessness, and him not recognizing me is just cruel. I feel like the universe hates me.

"Poor you," the taxi driver said, interrupting my thoughts. "You look like you have intense heartbreak. You must have really cared for the guy."

"Yeah," I replied, my voice cracking.

_If only he knew._

Austin was one of my only friends that knew me ever since we were little kids. The only thing I remember of our first meeting was that we were around ten when we first met. I was walking with Trish, who had moved in a year ago. I became fast friends with her, we were around nine and in fourth grade. It was the first day of school in grade five, and Trish was blabbing on about how she was placed with a stupid person sitting beside her. He was Dez, Austin's best friend.

I don't even know how we became an inseparable quad of friends. I'm not sure whether it was Dez doing something crazy that brought us together, or Trish's anger. Of course, Dez and Trish's frenemy relationship never changed, it was just less intense.

Right before senior year, Dez moved away. He always had a knack for videography, and was accepted for an internship at this fancy academy. Trish, Austin, and I had stayed back, and finished high school. A year later, all this...supernatural beast terrorizing the town started. Then Austin...

"Ma'am, we are here!" The driver exclaimed cheerfully. I climbed out and handed him the cab fare.

"Thank you," I mumble. "Keep the change..."

I straightened my back and started walking towards Lab X.

...

...

"Meggi, I need you to give me a quick rundown on his condition." I blurted out, once I saw her.

"A...Ally?" she whispered. She looked shock and confused, probably because of the scene I put on two days ago. I mean, I frickin ran away!

I was determined to play it off coolly. "Meggi, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I...I'm fine." She concluded.

"Good. I need you to do a few tests on Austin. We need to know what cognitive skills he still has, what he can still remember and what he can't." I paused for a minute, thinking. "Where is he being kept?"

"In the viewing room. The one with a one way mirror, in the right wing."

"Okay then. I assume he is getting enough food and nutrients, or the results will be tampered with. He needs to be at his optimal level."

"Yes, he is getting enough food. He eats regular food, which is a relief to everyone. Some thought he turned into a cannibal, because he was most likely fending for himself..."

"Interesting. Now hurry along, those tests won't be performed themselves. Take someone else with you, just in case."

Meggi curtly nodded and left the room. After the sound of her shoes turned silent, I make my way to the right wing. They were just starting the blood extraction. It sounds painful, but the person actually feels nothing. It doesn't take long to execute the steps, but waiting for the results is a tormenting. It takes three days to fully access all the test results.

I can't wait anymore.

But I have to. I mean, what choice do I have?

When they came in with the syringe, Austin started tugging on his restraints. He tried to bite them, snapping his jaw. He was always afraid of needles. I wasn't really surprised, he has always hated taking needle shots, or going to the doctor in general. He always shut his eyes, and never looked at his arm. Even when the needle didn't hurt. I would always tease him for being a tiny wimp.

I winced as they struck the needle in his bicep, even if I knew it wouldn't injure him. I sat there, for God knows how long, and just watched. If you viewed the situation from a regular person's perspective, they would say he was sitting there, doing nothing.

But I knew that he was doing something.

His thumbs twiddled with one another, like they were having a mini thumb wrestling contest. Austin's right foot was jumping up and down uncontrollably, but it was subtle at the same time. Sometimes his hand would reach out to tousle his almost platinum blonde hair.

That was always an old habit of his. At least that remains unchanged. If I use my imagination, and stop thinking rationally for a minute, it kind of looks like one of those days where he was waiting for me because of a study date. Austin was really impatient, always needed something to do when he was waiting or bored.

I took this time to fully get to look at him. He was dressed in a simple cotton white t-shirt and track pants.

But damn, he made it look good.

It was pretty obvious he had gained some muscle. Surviving even a day in those woods was a serious workout. A week or a month would make you a whole lot stronger and help you gain muscularity.

"Ally?" Meggi asked, breaking my stare.

"Yeah Meggi?" I replied.

"We...we need you to go inside for the last test."

_Inside?_ "Okay. Let's get it over with", I grumbled.

I was still scared. If he snapped at me like he did last time, I would break down again.

I took a deep breath and carefully twisted the handle...

* * *

**Oooooo snap? What will Austin do?**

**As always, review what you liked and what you didn't like. My question for you: what is your favourite chapter in the whole story? Granted, there are only six, but. I still want to know!**

**Stay Adorkable! :)**


	7. Nightmares

He stared at me with a face void of emotion. I halted in my tracks, Meggi was still walking towards him. I pinched the bridge so my nose in an attempt to calm down.

"Okay Meggi," I sighed. "What do I have to do? Stare at him, slap him?"

"You have to kiss him," Meggi declared.

I looked at her, eyes wide. _What?!_

"I'm just kidding! You will simply have to sit in front of Austin. Taylor, can you bring the chair out for me?" Meggi ordered. That was a cruel joke. Since when did Meggi have a sense of humour AND confidence? It's not like someone just changes in one day...

Then it hit me.

"Hey Meggi," I slyly said. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"H...how did you know?" she stuttered.

"I have my ways...don't underestimate me Meggi. Now, spill."

"His name is Adon..." Meggi smiled at the floor, probably thinking about this Adon guy. I couldn't help but feel a pang in my heart.

Nobody has ever made me smile like that. There was nobody in my life who could make me feel like that. I've accepted the fact that my dating life has sunk like the Titanic. Every single relationship I've been in was a lie, a scandal. I've given up on love.

I turned my attention back to Austin. He seemed perplexed when he saw me. I sat down in the chair slowly. Meggi started conducting the last test on Austin. He struggled against his restraints, trying to get out. And one point, he paused and looked at me. His stare was cold and animalistic, and he growled at me. My eyes started watering_. Don't cry Ally, you can do this. Show them you aren't weak._

I bit my lip, diverting my attention from Austin. Meggi went out of the room, probably to get the test results. Then, he spoke.

"What...are you people...doing...to...me?" Austin growled, struggling to say each word. I blinked once, twice. He talked. He asked the question again, with a bit more intensity. I clutched the handles of my chair. I didn't have an answer to that question. I couldn't say "We are taking tests on you!" He would think we regard him as a_ lab experiment_.

"What are...you people doing...to me?" he screamed. His face was pale, he was sweating furiously. His hands tugged at the ties on his hand, his feet tried to unfasten the knots that restrained him (though it wasn't the best idea). After a few seconds he started flailing in his seat.

His energy was slowly being drained away. If he continued like this...

"I'm sorry," I softly whispered. It was the last thing he heard before he blacked out.

...

...

I was ushered out of the room by Meggi. Nobody was in it except a few trusted nurses, who were trying their best to wake Austin. My hands were pressed against the one way window, as if trying to reach out to him. I felt like a kid at the window, waiting for it to be sunny on a rainy day.

He finally woke up in the wee hours of the morning. I should've been relieved, but I was more tense. I was nervous for how he would react. Would he remember the testing? Would he ask the same question he asked _me_ before he blacked out?

Multiple times I almost drifted off into dreamland, but I had to stay awake. Meggi would come any minute and give me a status update._ You are the mission leader,_ I scolded myself. Sleeping was not an option. Then, she suddenly came out.

"Ally Ally Ally Ally guess what?" she asked, with a bewildered expression.

"What is-" I started.

"Something happened while he blacked out. I...I don't know what. He just...just...come see for yourself!"

I ran as fast as I could in my heels (which is an awful idea, really). I was almost ready to burst through the door and see what was happening but I shook the thought off. I had to stay calm, cool, and collected. I pushed down on the handle gently. A group of researchers were huddled around Austin. I couldn't even see him!

I mentally face-palmed myself.

"Guys," I spoke in a quiet but commanding voice, "move away from him. Give the poor guy some space!" Geez, did I really have to explain that to them?

He wasn't restrained, but instead was curled up in a ball on the chair. He grabbed fistfuls of his hair and tugged at them ferociously. I tiptoed a bit towards him.

"Ms. Dawson, I don't suggest you doing that," one of the people, Hilly said. "He is in a very unstable condition-"

I pressed one of my fingers to my lips, and she immediately silenced. As I got closer to him, I realized a few things. He was HERE physically, but mentally it felt as if he disappeared. Something about his aura was unsettling. Then it dawned on me.

He was going through a rather horrific nightmare.

It is kind of obvious now that I look at him. His teeth and jaws are clenched. His eyes are squeezed tightly shut. The way he rocked back and forth on the chair...

With my fingers which were uncontrollably shaky, I stepped towards him. I kneeled down in front of the chair and paused, looking at him. I hesitantly took his hands in mine and started rubbing them. It always used to sooth him, now I don't know if it would work.

His eyes stayed shut, just not squinted together anymore. His arms went from shielding himself to cradling his head. His muscles relaxed. Soon, you could hear soft snores from him. I quietly got up and made my way outside the room to Meggi. Everyone else was gone, probably to get some rest. Thinking about it now, I was exhausted too. I could even curl up into one of the chairs and sleep peacefully. Maybe if I had my pyjamas here...

"Meggi, we had to keep him under our eyes. I think finding out what those nightmares were about might unlock something." I said. She simply nodded.

"Ally, if you are REALLY sleepy, we have bedroom arrangements made already..." Meggi explained. "Some of the staff are using the rooms anyway. I'm doing the same thing, and suggest you do the same."

"Sure."

As we walked down the stairs, I felt my steps get heavier and heavier. My legs felt like jelly at this point. I think my earlier decision of ditching my car and using a cab paid off today. After it got dark, some people tried stealing cars (weird, I know). Of course, they were never successful, but they could break into your car and steal valuables. I once had a (fortunately) empty wallet stolen from me while I was working late and the office.

Meggi gave me a key, and led me to my room. As soon as I got in, I saw a nice bed laid out for me. It had fluffy white pillows, with a light purple blanket. To the right was a closet with pyjamas in it. Bingo!

I got dressed, did everything necessary. I then flopped onto the bed and went out like a light.

* * *

**I am sooooooo sleepy right now that you don't even know. XD**

**As always, review. Tell me what you liked and what you didn't like.**

**Stay awesome! ;) **


	8. Letting it Out

My eyes burned as I slowly tried to pry them open. My head felt like it was swimming in a large pool. I tried to shake it off, but the dizziness wouldn't go away.

Damn, I probably shouldn't have fell asleep so late.

I snatched the covers off the bed, and sat for what seemed like hours. I finally stretched and actually stood up. It was going well until I felt a dull ache in my back. Shit. I must have slept in an awkward position last night. It happens to me a lot. I can't EVER fall asleep straight, I will always ending up slightly curling into a ball.

Though a warm shower will fix my problem.

I sighed and then realized I wasn't at my own house. I didn't bring extra clothes or anything. Or a towel. Or soap. My bathroom was actually pretty luxurious, it at least had a toothbrush, toothpaste, hand soap and all that jazz. It had a towel, soap, and shampoo too, now all that was left was a change of clothes. I then remembered that I actually had a CLOSET I could turn too.

Sure enough, there were some outfits that I could wear.

I decided then that a warm shower would be best for me. I took denim jeans, a simple shirt, and a faded grey hoodie from the closet and head over to the washroom. After I was done showering, I locked my room (you can never be too sure) and went for breakfast at Starbucks.

I ordered, got my food, and sat at a seat near the window. I don't know why, but I don't ever sit in the middle of a café. I always sit near the edges, that too when its close to the window. It's fun sipping coffee and staring out the window. Then, I heard someone pull the chair out and sit down. I looked up and saw Trish. My face broke out into a grin.

"Hey Ally!" she greeted.

"What's up Trisha?" I asked. Trisha was a cheesy nickname I made up for Trish in grade six—no I think it was grade seven. I don't know how, or why, but I think it's cute.

"I'm gonna be on shift today, working with you!"

It took a few minutes for it to sink in, but when it did, I grinned. Trish is one of the only people other than Dez who actually KNOWS Austin. Like, not just the name, but the personality. The immature, fun loving Austin.

I frowned. So much has changed. I haven't realized it until now. Dez is gone. Austin, he doesn't remember us anymore. The city has changed. People have changed. _I_ have changed. I'm no longer the innocent Ally anymore. Trish has also stopped her habit of being fired from multiple jobs.

I took a sip of my coffee, and shivered at the sudden warmth.

When I looked up, Trish wasn't there anymore. I looked around and saw she was ordering her breakfast too.

I finished up and told Trish I was going.

I needed to be alone for a while. I checked my watch, I still had two hours left. Staring up at the sky, I realized it was not an extremely sunny day. In fact, it was a bit chilly. Stuffing my hands into my oversized grey hoodie, I started walking to the one place I would get peace right now.

The lake.

The dock, as always, was empty, untouched. Some of the wood it was made up of was rotting and peeling off, which bothered me a bit. I was surprised to see another newly made dock. They must have made a new one, I realized. There were two people I knew, extremely kind, and they lived across the lake. Mara and Jimmy. Both of them are a married couple, it's actually kind of cute how they act with each other. One day, I was at the lake when I wasn't supposed to be.

But they kept the secret.

I was thirteen at the time. The lake has always been my go-to place, even before the attack. It would not be surprising if they fit up this dock. Mara has always been telling me how she they make a new dock for me. I thought they were kidding.

Occasionally, Mara came down to talk with me. She was one of the only people I could trust.

"Hey Ally!" a voice several metres to the right of me said. I whipped my head around.

"Mara!" I exclaim. I rushed over to her to give her a hug. "I miss you so much!"

"Yeah, I mean how long has it been? Three months?"

"I guess so."

"So, how are you? How's everyone?"

"...good." I hesitantly said. Mara gave me the look.

Here's the thing: Mara will give you her look when she knows you are hiding something. She had a knack for it. She could just look at a person she never knew before, and tell you whether they are hiding something or not. My eyes burned and my nose started running. Close to tears, I was determined not to let Mara see...

"Ally, honey. I thought we had an agreement! Tell me what is bothering you." A tear rolled down my cheek and onto the ground.

"We found Austin. He doesn't remember me anymore." I kicked a nearby rock, looking down as I spoke. My chin trembled and my eyes were tearing up again.

Mara didn't say anything. She pulled me into a motherly embrace. I rested my head on her shoulder and sobbed. I succumbed to the feeling of heartbreak. I felt like I was being a bit over dramatic, but I've known Austin for so long, and now all of that time has gone to waste.

...

...

"Hey Ally!" Kira called out. "Come here!"

Well that was strange. It wasn't the way she spoke, but how nervous she looked. From my point of view, she looked like she was about to faint. I quickly jogged up to her. As I got closer, I noticed a mop of jet black hair behind Kira.

Wayn.

What does that asshole want now?

"Ally, remember that get together you planned for us? The one this Saturday?" she nervously asked, fidgeting with her bracelet subtly.

"Of course!" I said, feigning a smile. "You ARE coming right? I planned it for weeks and would _die_ if you didn't come!" Now, we didn't really plan this. It's just...whenever Wayn is involved, we do whatever we can to avoid him. Even if it means lying.

I remember a time when I was horrendous at lying...

But thanks to Wayn, my skills have improved!

"Kira, baby, I thought you would want to come with me!" Wayn said. Kira visibly cringed.

"Wayn, I've told you a million times...don't call me baby!" Anybody could tell she was exasperated.

Wayn just shook his head and sauntered away, acting as if Kira had said something wrong. Cocky bastard. Kira let go of a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

"Thanks Ally. But get we all get together? For real? Me, you, and Trish have a sleepover at my place." Kira suggested.

I contemplated on my answer.

I have been giving them a shoulder for the past few weeks. The least I can do is go. It...it might even help me get my mind off things.

"Yeah. I'm up for it."

Kira squealed and called someone up, most likely Trish. I then made my way over to where the thick steel doors kept a certain blonde under protection.

...

...

**YAY! I just started my winter break and I am pumped! Can't wait for a whole two weeks of relaxation, watching movies and yada yada yada...**

**As always, leave a review...blah blah blah...whatever else I usually say.**

**I don't know if you guys can tell, but I am kind of hyper right now.**

**And my fanfiction is kind of acting up. I can't bold/italicizes/underline properly and the blinky typing thing keeps going where I don't want it to go.**

**Anyway, until next time! Stay awesome!**


	9. Remembering

I watched from the window as they coaxed Austin to eat some food. He was still shaken up. He must have had a gruesome nightmare. His eyes conveyed terror to me, yet I don't know what is bothering him so much. Then, an idea struck my mind.

"Meggi, I'll be back in a few minutes. Tell the others too." I commanded.

"Yep. Sure." Meggi replied. She furrowed her brows in silent questioning, but I ignored it. It seemed inconsiderable, but I was too excited to carry out my plan.

IHOP was just around the corner so I didn't have to walk far. Thank goodness there wasn't much of a line right now. I probably wouldn't be able to stand patiently. The lady behind the counter took my order. A few minutes later, I paid for my pancakes.

Yes, pancakes. Austin's favourite food...

I sighed and muttered a quick thank you.

When I reached the lab, Meggi immediately looked at me in a half disbelief and half smirk kind of expression. For some odd reason, I had to bite my lip to keep back a smile. I entered the room in which Austin was right now. I carefully opened the packaging and whispered a few things to Trish, who just came in.

Soon, she came back with butter, syrup, and a plate. I set up everything, just how Austin likes it to be.

As soon as I turned around, I saw Austin watching me with curious eyes. He saw the pile of pancakes and his eyes widened and a small smile came to his face.

My heart melted. That familiar glint in his eyes was there!

I slowly approached him and gave him the plate, setting it down on the table. The plastic knife and fork wasn't even used. He devoured the stack within five minutes. I watched with an amused expression while he stuffed his face.

Some of his childlike qualities shone through in this moment.

"Thank you." Austin muttered. He gave me a small grin. My face broke out in a smile.

"You're welcome," I replied.

"Who are you?" His eyes reflected his curiousness.

"I...I used to be your really good friend. Best friend even." I hesitantly said this. Austin was showing signs of remembering (according to Meggi). But those were small, minor things about himself. Like his name. His favourite colour. Plus, his speech his gotten a lot better. He was recovering from his shock.

"Oh."

I wasn't sure to say. I started fidgeting with the sleeves of my hoodie. A while later, I heard soft snoring from in front of me. He started trembling, and I immediately knew something was wrong. I gently tried to shake him awake, and his eyes snapped open. He was perspiring unnaturally, his shirt was damp.

"They...they are after me..." Austin muttered. His eyes were wide in fear. Austin was in some sort of trance. "They...they are coming. I can't stay. I can't stay. I can't...have...to hide..."

Meggi burst in through the door, which only startled him. She gave me an apologetic frown. Austin was starting to hyperventilate. Soon, others piled through the door, and Meggi shouted a few orders. I don't know how, but a bucket of water was thrust into my hand.

I poured some of it onto Austin's head. By then, his shirt was fully drenched, clinging to his body...showing his muscular physique...

_Snap out of it!_

His breathing returned to a normal speed, and I motioned for the others to leave, except Meggi and Trish. They were the two whom I could trust (the ones who were here right now anyway).

"Austin, tell us what happened," Meggi spoke. He remained silent. Meggi asked him two more times, but he didn't answer.

"Austin...Austin look at me." I said, firmly yet softly. He turned himself to face me. "Hey, remember me? I'm...I'm Ally. I gave you the pancakes."

He seemed perplexed for a minute, dazed by his nightmare. When he nodded in recognition, I somehow felt like I heard his brain do a small _click!_

Dont ask me how... I myself am stumped.

"Do you trust me Austin? Can you tell me what is bothering you?" I softly asked.

Beats of silence passed. Austin was taking too long to answer. Dejected, I turned to walk away.

"I...I trust you. I think," he replied. When I turned around, his eyes were trained on me like he was analyzing me. Figuring out if he, indeed, could trust me.

"You trust me. Do you want to tell me what happened? Why did you have that nightmare?" I cautiously questioned.

"I...I was walking in the forest. I don't know why, but I was with other people who were dressed in camo like me. I don't remember these guys, but... I feel like I know them. Then, somehow, we split together. I was lost and clueless. Then, the beast came..."

He started shuddering. His pupils started contracting.

"It's okay, you don't have to continue..." Trish piped in.

"Who is she?" Austin asked.

"Her name is Trish. She was my best friend and yours too." I replied.

"I...I thought you were my best friend?"

"You can have more than one best friend at a time. You were fortunate enough to have three."

"Where is the third one?"

"His...his name is Dez. And h...he left so he can move on further in life. Don't worry though! I'm sure he misses everybody."

"I would like to meet him. Can I?"

"We'll try." I couldn't give Austin false promises. I am not in contact with Dez anymore, how am I going to get him here? "Now Austin, I want you to get some rest. We won't be able to do anything until you are fully awake."

...

...

I was on my way to getting some alone time, when Trish pulled me aside.

"Ally, I think I can get Dez to come here. Remember that note he gave to us and then I kept it?" I nodded. "Apparently, his new phone number is there. It's worth a shot. We'll tell him what is happening, he might be able to come!" She exclaimed.

"I think you should try! I know Dez has known Austin for as long as they were in diapers! Meeting him may stir up his memories-" I started.

"Yep. Will do. Gotta go Ally!" Trish cut me off.

I watched as she ran down the hall, too excited to look back.

I just shook my head in amusement, and went off to get some rest.

...

...

**Yay! Another chapter done!**

**By the way, how was your guys' Christmases? I hope you had a great time this holiday. I know I did.**

**As always, review and tell me what you liked and didn't like. Also, I don't know if many of you know this, but I have written a one shot. If you would like to check that out, I would be happy!**

**Keep shining! **


	10. Surprises

I walked down the corridor, looking for Trish. I haven't seen her since she suggested the "bringing Dez in" idea. I know that she must have called him if, in fact, she found his number. I needed to know whether or not it was successful.

I kept going, picking up my pace slightly. Moments later, I bumped into someone. I clutched my head and looked up to see who bumped into me.

It was Trish.

"Trish what happened? Did you find Dez's phone number?" I asked.

"Well...I checked the card..." she started.

"Go on..."

"I called Dez up. I explained everything to him. And he agreed to come visit. His flight is this Thursday."

"Oooohhhhh, thanks Trish, you're the best!" I squealed while hugging her. "I have to go tell Austin!"

My mind was racing as I ran down the hall. I was beyond excited.

...

...

I entered Austin's room gasping for air. Man, I really needed to get back into shape. I leaned on the door handle of Austin's room for support. We had assigned him another room, it was just like the one I was staying in right now. This way, he doesn't feel constrained and locked up.

"...Hey..." I managed to say, in between laboured breaths.

"Hi. It's Ally, right?" Austin replied.

"Yeah...it is." The room was silent for a while. The only thing you could hear was our breathing. Then, Austin piped up, breaking the silent spell.

"So, did you talk to Dex yet?"

"It's Dez," I corrected.

"Right. Dez." He blushed at his mistake. "Did you talk to him yet?"

"Yeah. He has agreed to fly here this Thursday! He wants to meet you. Get reacquainted with you perhaps. Jog your memory a bit."

"Okay. Thanks for...well, everything."

"You're welcome."

I carefully shut the door and made my way down the hallway. I needed to go over to my apartment and check on things. I went back to my room to pick up my purse (that's really important, I have my keys in there).

Marching out, I hailed a taxi cab. Strangely, it was the same guy who dropped me off here a few days ago. I was puzzled, but then shook it off. I mean, what a coincidence!

"Hello," I greeted him.

"Wow, you are in a great mood today! Bit of a change from last time, eh?" he asked.

We started driving. In the middle of the drive, my phone started buzzing. I blindly searched inside my purse for it. When I finally got it, I realized it was a call from Kira.

"Hey Kira!" I said.

"Hey Ally! I just called to remind you of the sleepover tomorrow at my place." She explained. Oh shit. I totally forgot about that.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going to my apartment to get stuff ready for it!" I lied. Of course, I was going to pack up. I just lied about the fact that I remembered.

"Okay great! See you in like, a few hours!"

"Yeah. Of course..."

She hung up. I waited patiently for the taxi to reach my apartment. Or, at least tried. The silence in the taxi was very disturbing for me. I had to move around or listen to something. I plugged in my headphones and started listening to music on my MP3 player (I don't care if they are old fashioned, I still use them). I guess you could call me old-school.

We reached the apartment complex, and I thanked the driver and of course, paid for the ride.

As soon as I went in, I started stuffing clothes into a suitcase I found in my storage room. I don't know how long I will be staying at Kira's house, but it's better this way. If we do stay for an extended amount of time, I don't need to come back to my house.

I did a quick look around. Then, I checked the fridge for anything I could bring over to the sleepover. There was nothing in my fridge at all. Literally.

I walked out of my apartment and closed the door, then locked it.

...

...

**I am sooooooo sorry for the short (and late!) chapter. So much has been going on right now. I barely get chances to write on here! **

**On another note, my birthday is in twelve days! Yay!**

**As always, review what you liked and didn't like. I love hearing your feedback.**

**Always Smile,**

**ClearSkies-L**


	11. The Sleepover

Before going to Kira's house, I had taken a quick nap. I wanted to be able to pull an all-nighter. During Kira's sleepovers, you HAD to stay awake the whole time.

You know, unless you wanted a crudely drawn moustache on your face when you woke up.

My car pulled over to Kira's apartment complex. Once I safely parked my car, I made my way up to her room. I knew Trish would be there, but I knew that at least one other person would be there. I hoped that if there was to be another person, they would at least be nice, considerate. It's not that Kira had a bad taste in friends, it's just once in high school, there was a girl named Brooke.

Brooke seemed like a decent girl, but once she opened her mouth...

Let's just say, a few bolts are missing in her head.

I shook my head, as if that was going to get rid of the thought. The elevator I was riding came to a stop at Kira's floor. I lugged my plain red suitcase (it wasn't really heavy) to the front of the door and knocked.

"Hey Ally!" Kira exclaimed. "Come inside! You're the last one here."

I looked around. Kira's place was awesome. There was no loud, blaring party music, so I took that as a good sign. I was not one to go to rowdy parties. It got boring after a while, dancing with random strangers, having music blasted in your ear again and again.

She led me to the second level of her suite. Trish was there. So was Meggi, and Cassidy.

My smile faltered a smidge.

Cassidy had a history with Austin. Both of them had dated in high school. They broke up because they weren't as into each other as they thought they were once they started dating.

She was a sweetheart, really. Though whenever she is around me, I somehow feel belittled. She was a gorgeous blonde, wasn't a bimbo, and was nice and caring. She'd always been nice to me. There was nothing to hate about her. In the past few months however, we have tried to fix the slight rift and uneasiness between us.

At least I can look at her now and NOT feel insecure about myself.

"Hey guys!" I said with an overly excited voice. Not that they noticed, if they did they kept quiet.

"Hey!" All of them simultaneously replied.

I flopped down on the couch right between Kira and Trish.

"So..." Kira started. "Now that everyone is here, we can start a movie marathqon! I have a bunch to choose from. Did any of you bring your own DVDs?"

"I did!" Meggi chided.

We settled and picked one movie as a group._ Mockingjay Part I. _I didn't really watch the movie. I mean, there was just no time for me between work and...

Actually, scratch that. I have no valid reason. Maybe laziness?

Anyway, we all settled down with popcorn in our laps and eyes glued to the screen. There wasn't enough space on the sofa, so I laid down on the floor with Cassidy and Meggi. I feel like it's more fun laying down on the floor and watching a movie than sitting on the couch. Of course, if you are watching on a small screen, your neck hurts from all the-

Urg! I really have to stop ranting in my head like that. I get annoyed with myself after a while.

I already know everything that is going to happen. I read the books.

I watched anyway. The directors did a great job -in my opinion- of following the book. Many movies changed up the plot drastically, and then whoever read the book is dissatisfied.

I was feeling a bit uncomfortable, and carefully slipped out of the room to find a pillow. Kira doesn't really mind us going through her stuff. She made sure we knew that last time we visited.

I picked out a red pillow covered with velvety material. When I turned around, Cassidy walked into the room too.

"Hey," I spoke, with a small smile on my face.

"Hey," she replied.

We stood there awkwardly, waiting for the other to speak up. Finally the silence was broken.

"So listen, I heard about the...the Austin thing. I...I just wanted to know if you were okay. We may not be the best of friends but I still care about you." Cassidy explained.

"I'm fine, Cassidy. Thanks for asking. I just don't get how someone could forget a friend they've had for forever! He even forgot how to pronounce Dez's name for the first time! And he-" I stopped, not able to continue on. I was stumbling over my words. I sunk down to the bed.

Cassidy came over and held me into a half hug. I leaned my head onto her shoulder. Once I calmed down, I wiped the few teardrops that were threatening to roll down my face. Cassidy rose from the bed and pulled me up into a standing position.

"Thank you," I whispered.

We both slipped quietly into the living room again.

After the movie finished, I began rummaging through my purse. I haven't really been using my purse. Then, my hands found something cold and rough at the very bottom of it. I grasped it, and pulled it out. When I saw it, my heart skipped a beat.

Maybe even two.

It was a locket. No, not just any locket. It was the one Austin had given to me. The one I had, teary eyed, accepted. The chain was like any other, but the pendant was the real beauty. It was a small, intricate heart with an opening clasp. I hadn't ever opened it. I couldn't bring myself to.

I opened the clasp at the back and put it on. The last time I had held the necklace was last year. I was upset. I had -without thinking- stuffed the locket into my purse. I had meant to take it out and lock it away, as it was too precious to be sold, but forgot about it. I gently rolled the pendant side to side.

I safely tucked away my purse, and joined the girls in the living room.

...

...

**Okay! I was stuck on this chapter for a while. It probably isn't the best it could be, but...meh.**

**I would love to give a shoutout for everyone who reviewed, followed, or favourited (is that a word?) this story. You guys are awesome and thank you for continuously reading this story!**

**Luckystarz910**

**DirtKid123**

**Ross's Juliet**

**hehhelene**

**kat awesome**

**maddiegirl56**

**AwkwardGirl16**

**BOBA2017**

**Bols123**

**Happy17**

**Shinny Star**

**baby when our stars align**

**fun-flower**

**haileypappas**

**iamastar**

**thegrlnxtdr093003**

**I'm incredibly sorry if I missed you, or maybe I misspelled your username. It is such an annoying thing, online and in real life (at least I think so).**

**Until Next Time!**


	12. Notebook

"Ally where'd you get that necklace from? It's beautiful!" Meggi gushed.

I had barely sat down when Meggi asked me the question. It took my brain a few moments to process what she was asking.

"I... I got it from Austin before he left. It was in my bag, and I just found it," I replied, my voice soft.

"Well...it's beautiful." Meggi then gasped. "Ally, you have to show him the necklace! Maybe he will remember something!"

"That is actually a great idea," Kira mused. Trish and Cassidy nodded their heads.

"Maybe later," I told them. "I don't want to freak him out. After all, he has only started to remember things."

All of them muttered something along the lines of "Good point". I sunk into my seat, waiting for the next movie to start. It was Kira's turn to choose a movie. I hope she didn't choose The Notebook. She is obsessed with that movie, I swear. We have seen it at least a dozen times with her. After a while, it gets old.

The opening credits started showing up on the screen...

"OH MY GOD! How many times are we going to see this movie?!" Cassidy screeched hysterically. Kira looked offended.

"Yeah. I hate to break it to you Kira, but she has a point," I stated. Trish made her way over to the DVD player and popped the CD out. Great. Now we have nothing to do.

That actually was sarcasm. Kira always had something planned.

"Let's have a pillow fight!" she shouted, getting up and yanking a pillow off the couch.

I did the same, and others followed. Soon, it was a full fledged fight. I instinctively dodged all the hits that came in line with my face, thought some hit my arms and legs. I aimed for the back of people's heads, and watch in amusement as they whip around only to find nobody is there. Soon, we were tuckered out. My hair was static from all the pillows being close to my head.

When did we become so childish? I mean, pillow fights are for elementary sleepovers right? Actually-I don't care anymore. It was fun. End of imaginary discussion in my head nobody else can hear.

...

...

I finally changed into my palm tree pyjamas.

And yes, they do sell those.

We started playing truth or dare since we had nothing else to do. Frankly, it was the only thing keeping me awake. I zoned out a lot during the game though. I was snapped out of my reverie when Trish snapped her fingers in my face.

"Pay attention!" she commanded. I rolled my eyes in a good natured way, than focussed.

"Okay...Cassidy! Truth or Dare?" Kira asked.

Cassidy spoke, "Um...truth."

"Let's see. What should I ask you? Ooooo how about this? Tell us about the last person you dated, or someone you are dating right now. You know, if you are dating someone."

"Well...this guy named Tyler asked me out two days ago. Tomorrow, I'm gonna meet up with him." As Cassidy spoke, her cheeks flushed. I'm happy for her. I can't wait to meet this Tyler guy. Let's hope her date goes well...

Cassidy continued, "I choose you Ally! Truth or Dare?"

Feeling brave I spoke, "Dare."

"I dare you to...to...ask Trish for a truth! And you have to answer the first question she gives you."

My eyes widened to the size of grape fruits. Ask Trish for a truth? I don't know how this would end. I glanced up at Trish and she smirked.

"What's going on between you and Austin? It's like he only trusts you," Trish inquired. I gave her a dirty look. Are you kidding me?

"No he doesn't," I blurt out. "He doesn't trust JUST me...he barely remembers my name!"

"Yeah," Trish continued. "You do have a point there. Though when he speaks to some of our coworkers, his tone is hostile. With me and Meggi, it's a bit friendlier, but he seems open with you."

"It means nothing, Trish."

Finally, she snapped. "Right. 'It means nothing'. That's why. I've barely seen you smile for the last two years. Now, he is found again and I see you grin. For the first time. In two frigging years."

"I...I..." I stumbled with my words.

Trish's face softened. "You know what, let's watch a movie."

One by one, each of us fell asleep, The Notebook playing on, with nobody conscious enough to stop it...

...

...

**School is a byotch.**

**This chapter, I am aware, is just a filler. I really didn't wanna do much with this chapter. It might be a bit...badly written.**

**As always, review. Tell me what you liked and didn't like. Maybe type up a rant about how disorganized I am with updating stories...**

**Until next time,**

**ClearSkies-L**


	13. Dez

Today was the day Dez came back home.

Trish had volunteered to pick him up, along with Tatiana, one of our coworkers. I admit, it was quite awkward -our encounter in the morning. Especially after her minor outburst. I had forgiven her though. I can't stay mad or upset at Trish for long anyway.

I waited in the hallway where all of us would meet. Austin was already there, hair tousled up. Not that I minded. It was simply all the more difficult to refrain from touching him...

My mind wandered a bit. I was relieved we had an airport within our city walls. If we didn't, the journey to the airport might have been life threatening. Especially because Dez's flight arrives early in the morning, when there is no sunlight to drive the creatures away.

Austin looked up, noticing me. "Hey Ally."

"Hi Austin," I replied. I was still wearing the necklace from the sleepover. It had stuck on me, and I wasn't going to take it off anytime soon.

"So...when is Dez going to come?"

"They will be here any minute," I assured. The minute I said that, Trish and Tatiana burst through the door. Without Dez.

"Ally! Dez's flight was cancelled. He can't come today!" Trish exclaimed. Tatiana just stood there, not looking into my eyes. Her lips trembled.

Austin exclaimed, "What?!"

I simply smirked. "He's here. Don't worry," I calmly insisted. Right on cue, Dez burst through the door. Austin had a relieved expression on his face.

"Ally!" Dez whined. "You ruined the surprise!" He huffed and set his suitcase down. "Austin! It's nice to see that you are alive!" Dez put his hand out. Austin did too. Dez started doing their handshake.

And Austin remembered it.

Trish and I tried to hold in our surprised gasps. He was starting to remember a bit more!

"Okay. Now we are gonna leave you two alone to get reacquintanced," Trish exclaimed.

"Dez," I pointedly said. "Be nice. No more pranks." Dez poured and stomped his foot. I rolled my eyes with a small smile present on my face. I turned on my shoe heel and strolled out.

"We will be back in two hours," I heard Trish continue from behind me as I was walking. She then turned to join me.

"I still have a bit of work to do," I explained to Trish. She nodded with a small smile on her face.

"I have a bit of work to do too, so I guess I'll see you in two hours," Trish replied. We both bid goodbye and went to our own cubicles. We had reverted to our own office, which was nice to see. Lab X wasn't in use anymore, as we didn't need it.

The media was hushed about the fact that we found Austin. I remember my father telling me that they would keep this news on the down low, at least until Austin regains at least half of his memory.

Time flew by, and soon two hours were up.

We all met up in the lobby and then moved on to a secluded game/lounge room.

"Austin, what have you remembered so far?" Trish asked.

"Well, I don't remember much about recent years...but I have had a few flashbacks from middle school and early high school. Some were random, others were important events." Austin paused. "I guess now I could say my life- at least a few parts of it have flashed through my eyes."

Dez started chuckling, Trish and I started giggling. Even with memory loss, Austin can crack jokes. You know what was even funnier?

When I looked up, and stopped, he was staring at me. Our eyes locked. I blushed, looking away with a small smile on my face. My stomach instantaneously felt like butterflies were inhabiting it.

This again, I thought to myself. In a few months, I'll be in too deep...again.

I'll be in a mess, again. Because I'll fall in love with him.

And he won't notice.

...

...

Trish showed Dez to his room. Dez was going to stay for three days, the maximum amount of time he could give us. I looked over at Austin, who was fiddling with a pencil he found.

"Austin, could you tell me what you remember now?" I ask.

He replied, "Well, most memories are vague." His eyes were glazed over. "I could tell you some of the things I clearly remember though. I remember when we all first met. Trish and Dez were bickering about something, and I got to meet you. I think we were in fifth grade or something."

I nodded, signalling to him that he was right. "They were placed in the seating arrangement together," I added.

"There are also random memories that come back to me time to time. Like, the time we were at the beach and Dez and I snuck up on you and Trish. You guys fell first first in the sand!" He exclaimed.

I suddenly got defensive. "We didn't fall! We-we simply...yeah, I got nothing." I admitted. Austin chuckled.

Trish came back with Dez at that moment.

"Okay, I'm starving. We should all go and eat out together. Then, we could crash at my place," Trish said. Mutters of 'sure' and 'sounds cool' were heard, and we made our way to a McDonald's and ate. We then went over to _casa de Trish_ (Trish's house) and rested.

"That was awesome!" Dez exclaimed as Trish unlocked her apartment door.

"Dez, there's nothing special about eating at McDonald's," I muttered.

"I know, but that's the first time in a while that I've been able to hang out with you guys. Just the four of us."

Trish punched him playfully on his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah Freckles. No need to get all cheesy on us," she said while wearing an annoyed expression on her face.

Classic Trish. I could already feel the headache I would get tomorrow once their bickering started. Today was just a warm up. 0.001% of their actual amount of bickering on average.

Dez stomped his foot dramatically and huffed.

Oh boy, here we go. I guess old habits die hard.

"Trish, you know I'm the cheesy one in the group. Everyone does. It's not MY fault I watch cheesy movies you know..." Dez defended.

"Well I don't care-"

"I don't either-"

And just like that, the arguments started. I guess my headache would be appearing sooner than planned. Austin grasped my hand and pulled me into the living room, where we would be safe from their flying hands. You know, because of the hand gestures they use when they are angry.

"Wow. Do they always argue like that?" Austin questioned.

"No. No, they don't. Most times it's just a little disagreement. Not a full fledged argument like this," I replied.

"Okay."

"You know what I have noticed? Whenever Dez is gone for a long time, their fights are longer. But only for like, two or three days. Then, it goes back to normal."

I tuned in back to the argument.

"Gosh, Trish. Why did you get so mad over one statement?" Dez exasperatedly asked.

"Because I missed you! We missed you!" She countered, motioning to Austin and me. "You didn't even call once! Would it have killed you to call once?" Trish was close to crying. Her eyes were watery.

"I-I thought you guys celebrated after I was gone."

"Dez, why would we celebrate your departure?" I demanded.

"I'm the weird one in the group. Nobody ever wants to have anything to do with the weird one. And I've cause enough trouble for you guys because of it."

We all huddled together in a group hug.

"Dez, we wouldn't want you gone," Austin explained. "You are our best friend." We all pulled away.

...

...

"Ally, who gave you that necklace?" Dez inquired.

We had currently finished watching a movie, and Dez just popped the question out of nowhere.

"How did you know it was a somebody?" I retorted. Dez wasn't there when Austin gave the necklace to me. He had already left.

Dez shrugged his shoulders. "Just a wild guess."

I looked over to Austin. His eyes were wide in recognition. His eyes seemed unfocused.

"I gave it to you right?" Austin insisted. "Right...right before I left. I..I gave it to you. It has an opening clasp." He held out his hands. "May I?"

I nodded and opened the chain. I laid the necklace carefully onto Austin's palm. I observed as his fingers struggled to find the clasp. Then, I heard a soft click. The necklace opened up, revealing a photo of Austin and I on one side, and an engraving on the other.

"I'll be with you through thick and thin," he whispered the words of the engraving **(A/N: I didn't want to use 'There's no way I could make it without you.' It's too cheesy and overused.)**

"I never had the guts to open the clasp after you left, " I confessed. "Thank you." I put the necklace back on. I, being the impulsive person I am, reached out for a hug.

Austin's arms just naturally encircled my waist. We stayed there for two seconds or so, a few seconds too short. Austin pulled away and gave me a warm smile. "You're welcome."

I noticed Dez and Trish decided to disappear, without our knowledge. They came back, claiming they had to pop some popcorn for the next movie.

Somewhere in the middle, Austin fell asleep. Right now, his head was propped on my shoulder. I didn't mind though. I used to fall asleep during movie nights, and my head would slump down to rest on his shoulders. Funny, he's never slept during a movie before. Maybe he's just tired.

A while after the movie ends, he wakes up briefly.

"Ally?" he questions, confused. He picks his head off my shoulder. Austin's face was completely pale, and he was breathing heavily. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have fell asleep on your shoulder..."

"Don't worry about it," I assured. "Why are you so pale?" I reach up to touch his face. It's cold and drained of colour.

"I'm fine, Ally. Don't worry. What about you? You probably haven't slept yet and it's... 2:38 am."

"I'm fine."

"Come here, Ally."

Austin motioned for me to lay down, head facing towards him. He took a pillow, pat it down, and placed it on his lap.

"Ally, use this for a cushion. You should be fine."

I hesitated, then eventually gave in. I fell to sleep with the distant memory of Austin humming softly, his fingers weaving through the knots of my hair.

...

...

**Okay. I might not be able to update for a while because I'm going somewhere for a vacation. There won't be many opportunities for me to write, so don't expect any updates for a while.**

**In other news, I JUST started watching SUPERNATURAL! **

**It's addicting.**

**Anyway, as always, don't forget to tell me what you liked and didn't like in the reviews.. **

**Stay amazing ;)**

**QUICK NOTE: I don't really edit any of my chapters, so please disregard any grammar or spelling mistakes I may have done.**


	14. Hectic Mornings

My brain felt like goo when I woke up.

We were still in Trish's house, I realized. The zebra print carpets really gave it away. I was the first one up, even though it's 10:54 in the morning. Trish probably stormed off in the middle of the night to her room. She was nowhere in sight.

Dez was splayed out all over one of the three couches, but still didn't fit. Sometimes, I guess, having a lot of height is a disadvantage.

Austin was peacefully sleeping with a pillow on his lap. I made my way to the kitchen and tried to find some pancake mix and syrup. You know, for Austin and Dez. They love their pancakes. Especially Austin.

As I finished up my pancakes, I heard a thud come from the living room. I wiped my damp hands on a towel and went over to check it out.

Austin was on the floor, trembling. His face was drained of colour, extremely pale. He was curled up in a ball, and was rocking himself. Crap. I should've known. When he woke up after the movie yesterday, he was slightly pale. I thought he was just a bit tired.

His nightmares must be gruesome.

I feel so helpless, knowing I can't make the nightmares stop. Helping him only does a bit. I rush over to him, and moved the table out of the way. His eyes were sealed tight. His whole body was trembling. I reached out to touch him and...

_Smack!_

His flailing arms hit my cheek. At the sudden contact, he shot up, fully conscious. Clutching my face, I ran to the washroom so he couldn't see me. I looked in the mirror and saw a few bruises forming. I nimbly touched them, but I hissed when I grazed them.

Shit.

It stung.

I whirled around, only to be face to face with Austin. His face was scrunched up in concern, and when he saw the bruises, he was mortified.

"Oh my God...Ally...," he whispered, in disbelief.

I tried to reassure him, "It's fine Austin. You were startled-"

"No! I hurt you!"

He left, running his fingers through his hair. A while later, he came back with an ice pack to help with the swelling. He awkwardly handed it to me, and I placed it on my cheek. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.

"Don't you dare say it was your fault, Austin," I sternly exclaimed. "You didn't know."

Austin looked defeated. "It still doesn't change the fact that you have bruises on your face."

"I'll be fine. I've had worse. I'm pretty sure what you SHOULD be worried about is the fact that Trish will kill you." I chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. She can be overprotective sometimes. Austin let out a weak laugh.

I walked out to find Trish awake, plopped in the dinner table along with Dez. As soon as she saw my bruises and ice pack, she gave me an alarmed look.

"WHAT THE HELL? ALLY, WHO DID THIS?"

"It's fine Trish," I responded. "Austin was sleeping, and when he woke up, he smacked my jaw. Hard. But, it was an accident, and I'm fine now."

Trish was fuming, but managed to calm herself down. We settled down for breakfast. It was awkward considering Trish was glaring daggers at Austin's head. She didn't say anything, however. Austin wasn't frightened by Trish, but he definitely was uneasy.

Dez was being a goofball (like always).

"Hey Trish, look at this!" Dez was dangling a pancake inches away from her face. At one point, he accidentally smacks her in the face with it.

The best part?

The pancake was covered with sweet and sticky syrup. It was amusing to watch. Especially the part where both Dez and Trish ran out the door, with Trish chasing after him while aggressively swearing in Spanish. I sighed and got up, shrugging my coat on. Someone had to stop them.

"Ally," Austin spoke. "Where are you going?"

I give him a wistful smile. "Someone's gotta stop them."

"I'll go." He pushes his chair out quickly wipes his mouth.

"But I-"

Austin interrupts me with a kiss on my cheek that shut my mouth up quickly. Mostly because of shock. And the ever growing hue of red that was probably colouring my face.

"I don't want you getting hurt again."

Just like that, Austin was out the door.

...

**Hehe.**

**Its been a while, hasn't it?**

**The last few months have been crazy, but not to worry! I only have three days of school left. I should be able to update. Sorry for leaving you all hanging! But, I mean, school's a bitch. And a real pain in the ass.**

**I know this chapter is a bit short, but I was able to squeeze in a quick Auslly moment!**

**As always, I LOVE hearing your comments. Tell me what's your favourite chapter from this whole story so far!**

**Stay Unique,**

**ClearSkies-L**


	15. Breakdown

I picked at my food for a bit. It had been a while since Austin set out to find Trish and Dez. I know that most times, they just stay in the building and chase each other. But this was taking too long.

Just as I went to open the door, it swung open revealing an exasperated Austin, along with a bickering Trish and Dez behind him. He pulled Dez in while I took care of Trish.

"Okay, that's enough you two." I tried my best to give a stern glare so they would get the message.

It worked.

We sat down for breakfast again, and it was pretty awkward between Dez and Trish. It made me feel awkward too.

"So, what are we going to do today?" Austin asked.

...

...

"Ally, behind you!"

I took my laser gun and aimed it at Dez's vest. I've got to admit, Trish's idea of playing laser tag was awesome. Dez and Trish were on one team (which probably was a bad idea) and Austin and I on the other. Right now, we were winning by an insanely high amount of points.

Of course, we had Austin's military experience. He is a pretty sharp shooter.

But, you know, I was okay.

After the game, we all went to my apartment. We decided to watch another movie. Last time, we watched Trish's favourite movie. This time, we'll watch Austin's.

"Austin, do you remember your favourite movie?" I asked.

"Umm...Zaliens? I think I liked it when I was fifteen or something. I don't think it's my favourite though."

"Zaliens is overrated now," Dez piped in. "So is Bikini Beach Blood Bash. Its been a long time since you've seen a movie, I doubt you even have a favourite movie."

"Alright then. I guess I'll have to find a new favourite movie."

We couldn't decide on anything, so I put on the movie Jumanji. We watched it so many times as kids. It might stir up a few memories, especially for Austin. Halfway through, Dez got an important call. He had to return to his hotel room, and Trish offered to drive. That's when reality hit me.

Dez will be gone tomorrow. Trish and I have to return to work tomorrow. Austin still needs his memory. And if he can remember what happened outside those walls...

We can beat the beast.

It's funny. Life goes on, even if everyone KNOWS there is a creature lurking out there, out for blood. We sometimes forget, until we see the concrete wall and the fence gates. Or when we hear about a traveller who got mauled on the news.

My thoughts were interrupted by Austin. His eyes were open so wide, I swear they could just fall out. He was muttering something I couldn't quite perceive. I dug out my phone, and hit record. His palms started getting clammy, and I tried to soothe him. His eyes fluttered shut, and hot tears began to stream down his face.

Oh no.

I can't handle a crying Austin.

Not without breaking down myself. Tears were forming in my eyes. I tried to blink them away, but to no avail.

"I'm sorry Austin," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I can't take away your pain. I can't take away the nightmares and the flashbacks. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I press the button to stop recording. "All I can do is offer you comfort. I'm here for you. I won't leave you." Austin's eyes met mine.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul.

In Austin's eyes, I saw a broken spirit.

Mostly dead, almost void of hope.

It was overwhelming.

All I could do was hold Austin close and wait for him to fall asleep. Once he was out, I carefully put him down on the couch without disrupting his slumber. His tears were gone, dried up. I felt horrible knowing that the first thing I did when he started breaking down was take out my phone, and start recording. But it was part of my job.

The crappiest part of my job, if you ask me.

I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go over the recording, maybe try to decipher what he was saying. I went into my room and shut the door. I hit play.

At first, all I could hear was gibberish. Austin's voice in the recording was going rapidly. Then, I slowed it down. I could hear him now, his words were crystal clear to me.

_Get out of my head...stop controlling me...get out of my head..._

His words seemed to go in a loop. He kept saying the same thing over and over again in the recording.

Cue the confusion.

My mind was plunged into a swirl of questions. I just couldn't comprehend anything right now. My head started pounding as if someone was hammering my head. I looked at the time and willed myself to go to sleep.

...

...

The sound of footsteps woke me up. I turned on the lights to see Austin lingering in the doorway. I drunkenly strode to the door, and invited Austin inside. He wouldn't look at me.

"I'm sorry Ally," he whispered, "I didn't mean to wake you up. I just can't sleep."

"It's alri-" I start to say.

"I..I remember everything Ally. Everything."

"That's great, isn't it? You remember everything you, Trish, Dez, and I have done together." My nervously fidgeted with my hair, resisting the urge to chew on it. My stomach was in knots. I've got a bad feeling about this.

That's when he finally turned to look at me. His eyes seemed like they were trying to convey to me what he had meant. And I got the message.

When he meant everything...he meant everything. I don't know what kind of hell he had been living through when he was gone. I don't know what he has faced. All I know is that it isn't pretty. From the way he looks at me, it's like the burden of the world is on his shoulders.

I say nothing. I take his hand.

"You should sleep in my bed. It's more comfortable," I croak.

I turn to walk out when I hear him.

"Ally...please stay..."

In that moment, he looks so vulnerable. Like somebody had stripped him of his armour in battle, leaving him exposed.

How could I say no?

...

...

**Um...so...yeah. That was the fifteenth chapter.**

**Now is the part where it gets more intense, with Austin remembering everything. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that. I honestly don't know how long this story is going to be (in case you were wondering). It's such I surprise even I have no clue!**

**As always, tell me what you liked and didn't like. I always love hearing what you guys have to say about my stories!**

**If you've read this far (if you did, you're awesome) I've got a question for you. What was your least favourite chapter in this story so far? Tell me why.**

**Thank you for your reviews and favourites and follows! **

**Keep Smiling! :)**


	16. Bugged

Austin and I woke up, our limbs entangled with each other. I knew I wouldn't be able to get up without waking Austin, so I stayed put. Austin started to stir in his sleep, so I carefully tried to get up. Suddenly, his sturdy arm slung over my waist and he pulled me into him. I let out a sharp gasp.

It wasn't that the position was uncomfortable...

But my back was right against him. He then proceeded to bury his head in the crook of my neck. My heart was beating erratically, my stomach felt like someone opened up a jar of butterflies in them. I could still hear the soft snores coming from him.

He was still asleep.

I tried to pry his arm off, but to no avail. In fact, the disruption led to him pulling me closer (if that was even possible). I bit my lip harshly, so that I wouldn't make a sound.

After a while, he loosened his grasp on me. It was enough for me to slip out of. I didn't want to leave, but I was really hungry, and I was sure Austin would be too. Plus, I didn't want to complicate things, or be stuck in an awkward situation. Austin has enough on his plate right now.

I make pancakes for him, and just as I finish up, I can hear Austin shuffling to the kitchen. His hair is mussed up, and he slumps in his chair.

"Good morning sleepyhead," I tease.

He mumbles a reply that I couldn't quite catch. His head droops down onto his table, and he groans. I grab the whipped cream and syrup and place them in front of him. He perks up at the sudden slam of the items being out down. I then set out the pancakes for the both of us.

"You made pancakes?"

"Yeah. They're your favourite so...I just thought I'd make them. It'd be nice for a day."

"Ally, I thought you hated them."

Pause.

"Well..." I start. "I've learned to love them."

Austin (as usual) gobbled up his stack of five pancakes. I don't know how he did it. The pancakes I make are larger than the average pancake. Whereas I can only take two of them on my best day.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" I asked him.

His eyes were glazed over in thought. "I don't know," he answered. "Maybe a movie or something, or we could watch tv."

"All right," I said. "What do you wanna watch?"

"Your pick."

"How about...Tangled?"

"Sure."

I got up and put Tangled into the DVD player. Since I have such a small couch, there was no way I would be able to sit down without touching Austin.

Not that I was complaining.

Even though I had seen Tangled dozens of times, I never seem to get bored of it. Occasionally, I will mouth my favourite lines. All my friends think it's annoying.

Right now, we were at the scene where Eugene was resurrected.

"You're adorable," Austin stated.

I'm pretty sure I look like a deer in headlights. "Wait, what?" I managed to squeak out.

Austin looked as confused as I was. "What?"

"Nothing."

Somehow, by the end of the movie, Austin's head rested against my lap. I gently stroked his hair and he sighed happily.

"So, Austin," I begin, in a soft voice. "How much do you remember?"

His eyes snapped open and his eyes darted everywhere, as if trying to locate something.

"Nothing." His voice came out hard and cold.

I was flabbergasted. He didn't say that last night. "But what you said last night..."

Now he was fully upright and was pacing around. "Never mind what I said last night." He went into another room and came back with a notepad and a pen. He quickly scrawled something down on the paper. "I was spooked. I didn't know what I was saying." He gave me the notepad.

_The walls have ears too._

_We need to get away from here. Now._

My heart was pounding. My head was swirling. Why? Why do we need to get away? Are we in danger or something?

"Is that vase yours?" Austin asked, pointing at a vase that was set on a coffee table in my living room. It was covered with a beads with a noticeably larger one in the middle.

"No, one of my dad's friends gave it to him. He didn't want it, so he gave it to me."

"It looks nice." He went over to it, and tore off the middle item bead. He scrutinized it and fiddled with it. Oddly enough, there was a clasp on it, which Austin opened.

Inside was a small microphone.

Some son of a bitch bugged me.

...

...

**Dun Dun DUUUUUNN!**

**This chapter is really short, I'm just not feeling this story, and as a result I have writers block. And it's really, really frustrating and stuff.**

**(Maybe more reviews would help fix that. I don't know...)**

**Anyway, more drama is going to come up (I hope). And more intensity(again, I hope). I'm thinking of doing a few one-shots, and I will accept the first three requests sent to me (to switch things up a bit).**

**Keep being awesome,**

**ClearSkies-L**


	17. Clumsy

Austin wasted no time in getting me out of the apartment.

As we walked hastily away from the apartment, I felt frustrated. I didn't have the slightest clue as to what was going on. Each time I thought about the bugged vase, my head started pounding.

I sprinted ahead of Austin, ignoring his pleas to slow down. I was going straight to the lake.

My legs ached, my eyes were tearing up from the wind rushing at my face. Almost there...

"Ally, wait!" He cried out.

I huffed and sat down on the dock. There was something he was not telling me. He's been acting weird ever since last night. And he didn't just guess that my vase was bugged!

"Ally, I can explai-" he started.

"-don't give me that crap. I don't know what the hell is going on!" I stood up and started pacing around. "You're hiding something from me. And you won't tell me! Austin, do you not trust me?" I stopped pacing and looked at him straight in the eye.

"Ally," he started, "You know that I trust you. I just...I just..."

I simply looked at him, challenging him to go on.

"I'm just not ready to tell you."

I let out a huff and stared out into the lake. I didn't know exactly what happened to Austin, but it had to be something incredibly horrible for him to hide it from me. He told me everything.

Austin shuffled behind me, and soon joined me on the dock. The silence between us made me anxious.

"Alright then," I sighed. I started to get up, but tripped over myself. On impulse, I gripped onto Austin's hand as I was falling into the lake, taking him down with me. I came up coughing like crazy.

I probably should've kept my mouth closed.

"Are you alright?" Austin slowly trudged through the water to get to me. His shirt was tight before but now...it looked like it was practically sewn on him.

Damn.

I gulped and nodded. I made my way back to the dock. I tried to squeeze excess water out of my shirt, without much luck. Soon after, Austin came out. That too, shirtless.

Like I said before, damn. I was well aware before that Austin had an amazing body.

I tried my hardest to look anywhere,_ anywhere_ but at him. My face heated up, I couldn't control it.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, turning away from the lake and more importantly, him. "I didn't mean to drag you down with me into the lake."

He chuckled. "You know I can't stay mad at you, Ally. It was an accident." I simply nodded, still turned away from him. It sounded like he was much closer to me than before. Maybe about a few strides away.

"Ally, why aren't you looking at me? Is something wrong?.

"Nope, there isn't." I started to walk away, but was stopped by his hand loosely gripping onto my wrist and pulling me back. I yelped in surprise and bumped right into his chest, sending us both to the ground.

God, I'm extremely clumsy.

"Ally..."

Austin was hovering on top of me. He stared down at me intensely, eyes glazed over. He leaned down and gave me a short kiss on my lips. He started to pull away, but instinctively I leaned up to meet his lips once again.

Holy hell.

He responded immediately, cupping my face with one hand, and holding my waist with the other one. My hands snaked around to his neck, inadvertently bringing him closer. His soft lips moved against mine in a slow dance. After a while, Austin pulled away and rubbed his nose against mine, both of us rendered speechless.

I jumped as my phone rang from the tree I had set it beside. I sighed and got up.

"Hello?"

"Ally! You have to come quick!" Trish said urgently.

"Wait, Trish, what happened?"

"I used the key you gave me to open up your apartment...and it's completely trashed. Like, it's just...I don't know how to explain it." What? How could my apartment be completely trashed? Did someone break into it?

"All right, I'm coming right over."

...

...

**Hehe. Long time no update, eh?**

**(Please don't kill me lol)**

**School is being a bitch. I don't have much time to update and GOD do they give a lot of homework! I also have a lot of other activities so I get overwhelmed. **

**But...I squeezed in an Auslly moment for you!**

**Its shitty and short, but it's all I got for now. **

**Also, I am taking prompts for one shots! I am accepting the first three. It would be better if you PM'd them to me, but if you can't, that's fine. Here are the conditions:**

**-ratings can be whatever (if you give me a rated m one, I will try to do smut, but it WILL be bad)**

**-pairings: I will accept Auslly and Trez. I don't really feel comfortable writing any other pairings, so I might not do those ones. I'll try, but they will probably end up bad because I just cannot picture people like Austin and Kira or Ally and Elliot or Austin and Dez etc. etc. etc.**

**-if you want a character you made up to be in the story, please describe them. That too, accurately.**

**As usual, tell me what you liked and didn't like. I love hearing your guys' comments!**


	18. Confessions

"Ally," Austin spoke. "What happened?"

"My apartment is trashed. Someone broke into it and just destroyed everything. Or at least Trish says so," I reply. He looked at me in confusion before I ran off.

Austin and I raced to my apartment. I rapped on the door, my head so scrambled I didn't even think to get out my keys. A very startled Trish answered the door.

"It's really bad. Are you sure you want to come in right now?" Trish asked.

"Yes..." I hesitantly replied, bracing for the worst. She swung open the door all the way.

Holy shit.

The whole floor was covered with junk. My coffee table was flipped upside down. All of my drawers EVERYWHERE were open. The couch seats were tossed onto the floor. The things on my t.v. stand were strewn across the floor. I walked to my room in a trance, to see everything was intact. My kitchen, however, was a different story. Pots and pans were clattered on the floor, knives were carelessly thrown around.

What. The. Hell.

It looked like a freakin' tornado ripped through my apartment.

Suddenly, Trish's phone rang.

Looking at the caller I.D., she turned to us and said "I've gotta go guys. Sorry. I totally forgot about my doctor's appointment."

I just nodded and watched her leave.

Austin's gaze went to the vase. Like before, he took the piece in the middle and took it apart, with fumbling fingers.

The bugging device was gone.

...

...

"Who the hell would do something like this?" I asked Austin as we cleaned the apartment. Austin looked deep in thought. "Helloooo? Earth to Austin?".

He snapped out of his trance. "Sorry Ally. What what you saying?"

I sighed. "You know what? Just forget about it."

For a good fifteen minutes, we picked up the slack in silence. My mind kept wandering to the kiss between Austin and I. God, the feel of his lips on mine drove me crazy.

In a good way.

I was too embarrassed to bring it up though. I mean, for all I know, it was a spur of the moment decision for Austin. He probably will never feel anything for me. It's better if I just...forget about it. Or try to.

"Ally...there's something I think I should tell you." Austin said, with his back facing me.

"Well...uh...what did you want to...tell me?" I questioned hesitantly.

"The truth. About everything." Austin now faced me.

"Austin...you don't have to. I mean...if you're not ready..." I started.

"No, Ally. I...I have to do this."

He walked over to the couch I was sitting on and sat down. "We...we left the town with hopes of defeating the beast. For the first four days, there was no sign of it. On the fifth day, it attacked us while we were all asleep. One of our guys, Johnson, was awake. From afar, it looked like a beast..." Austin paused for what seemed like a very long time. "We weren't after a beast, Ally. It was a man-made killer machine."

"What?" I asked, confused. "There is no beast?"

Austin nodded.

"Well, that explains why nobody has been able to kill it," I spoke. "You can't. It's made of metal, not flesh and blood."

"Nobody's ever survived to tell that to anyone else. Ally...I saw all of my comrades die that night. The...thing...injected poison into all of them, including me. I saw terrible hallucinations. After a while, my throat felt like it was constricting me, and I could barely breathe. It's...it's a miracle I survived." His eyes were brimming with tears. "I had blacked out, and w-when I woke up, I could see I was strapped down to a t-table surrounding by people."

"Austin I-"

"You wouldn't believe the things they did to me, Ally." His eyes were clouded over, his mind wandering. He spoke softly. "They...they used me as a...a lab rat. I...I..."

Austin shook his head, as if he was getting rid of those memories. Tears were rolling down his cheeks. I felt a pang in my chest. Austin really had to go through all of this? It must've been awful! Downright horrific!

"You don't have to tell me anything else, Austin. You're straining yourself too much," I whispered softly.

Suddenly, he got up and turned to look at me with a desperate look in his eyes. "Ally, you have no idea what it's like." He started pacing nervously across the room. "Sometimes I will have a flashback out of nowhere when I am awake. That's why I zone out a lot. Other times, the memories creep into my dreams. I try to forget...I really do! I try to live with it. But...it's just...too much to handle."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I asked.

"I...I don't know. I didn't want you to worry about me too much. It's better than before anyway. Now, I get a bit of sleep and the flashbacks aren't as intense."

Austin slumped back to the couch. We sat in silence for what seemed like eternity.

"Are we just going to..." Austin started. "You know what, never mind." He shook his head as if trying to get rid of a thought.

"What? What were you saying?" I inquired.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"C'mon Austin. You can tell me!"

"No it's alrig-"

"Just finish your thought."

He sighed. "Are we going to pretend that kiss never happened?"

"Uh.." I stuttered. "I mean, i-if you want to. I-I don't really care." I panicked and said the worst thing I could. "T-the kiss didn't mean anything to me."

He chuckled. "You're a really bad liar Ally." He brought himself closer to me, his lips tantalizing me.

"Maybe I am," I softly whispered, gazing into his hazel eyes.

I connected my lips with his before he could reply. My arms instinctively moved to his neck, while his crept around my waist and pulled me flush up against him. His right hand moved to cup my jaw, rubbing his thumb on my cheek.

I could've just melted right then and there.

Austin leaned back, and both of us fell onto the couch, mouths never disengaging. After a while, Austin pulled away and rested his forehead against mine. I was rendered breathless.

"Ally, " Austin breathed out as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering and giving me tingles. He licked his lips and took a deep breath. "Ally, I am hopelessly in love with you. I can't hide it from you anymore. This whole mess has only made me realize that I could've lost you forever Ally. I could've died, and you would have never gotten to know how I really felt about you."

"Really?" I asked cautiously. I still couldn't figure out whether this was a dream or not. If it is, I hope I never wake up. He gave me a soft smile and an almost imperceptible nod. "This is great...because I'm hopelessly in love with you. Correction, I've been hopelessly in love with you for the past five years."

"Well..." Austin started with a smirk, "I'm not surprised. I'm irresistible. Sooner or later, you would've fallen for my charm and good looks."

I playfully swatted him, but Austin only pulled me closer to him and let our lips mash together again.

...

...

**YAY! They confessed their love for each other! WHOO HOO! Don't get comfortable though. Things are gonna change real quick. There's still a story left to be finished.**

**Hope that makes up for all the time I've been inactive. I've said it multiple times before but...schools a bitch!**

**On a totally unrelated note, who has seen the trailer for Captain America: Civil War? I am so excited for it. The trailer made my heart break a little.**

**I gotta stop before I go on a big rant about it.**

**As always, made sure to leave a review or a little something something. I always love hearing your comments! What was your favourite thing about this chapter?**


	19. Vulnerable

I slowly opened my heavy eyes, only to feel his arm around my waist, holding me down. I groggily craned my neck to look at my calendar.

_Oh shit_.

I have to go to work today. I carefully tried to wriggle out of Austin's grasp, but to no avail. He pulled me closer and nuzzled his head in my shoulder, grumbling, and I tried to fight the butterflies that just erupted in my stomach. His chest is a hard pillow for my back.

"Austin," I whispered, "Get up, I need to get to work...and so do you."

"I don't wanna get up," he mumbled, his lips dangerously close to my neck, his breath tickling me. "I wanna stay here with you..." His hands slid to my waist, right where my shirt had ridden up a bit. My breath hitched, and I could almost feel the smirk on his face.

The moment was cut short by the intrusive sound of the doorbell ringing.

Who could that be?

"I got it," I declared. I practically dragged myself to the door, and opened it without checking who it was through the peephole.

A terrible decision.

I swung the door open to reveal Wayn.

Holy crap, this guy just won't give up.

"Oh my God Wayn," I sighed, exasperated. "I put up with you all this time, but I draw the line when you come to my apartment looking for Kira. She _doesn't_ want you. I thought that would've gotten through your thick skull by now!"

"I'm not here for her, I'm here for you. I finally figured out why you wanted me away from Kira...you wanted me for yourself, babe. Don't deny it." He had a smug look on his face, and my hands were itching to slap it right off him.

So I did.

"You _fucking asshole_!" I spat out. "I always thought that you were an egotistical, narcissistic bastard, but that was an idiotic thing to say. I will never, EVER be interested in you like that. The thought of that happening makes me wanna puke."

"Mmm feisty. Playing hard to get, eh?"

"Is there something wrong, Als?" Austin sauntered over to where I was standing, and slung his arm around my shoulder. His gaze bore daggers Wayn's. Austin was at least half a head taller than Wayn, and was definitely more fit. The uneasiness was palpable on Wayn's face.

"Nothing. Wayn was just about to leave." I turned to Wayn. "Isn't that right?" You could practically see the steam come out of his ears. He still stood there, unmoving.

Why isn't he moving?

"I-I'm not l-leaving," Wayn stuttered. "N-not until I-I'm sure Ally doesn't want me."

Before I could retaliate, Austin took his arm from my shoulders, stepped closer to Wayn, and started speaking in a hushed, low tone. "Listen _pal_, she already clearly told you that she doesn't want you. Plus, she's already taken. So we can do this the hard way or the easy way. Either get out of here by yourself, or I will drag you down the stairs by the arm... and I guarantee that it will hurt."

Wayn pursed his lips, probably contemplating his options. He took one last look at me, then looked at Austin and walked away.

"Asshat," Austin muttered when Wayn was out of earshot.

"Thank you, Austin. I've been trying to get rid of him for a while now."

He grinned cheekily. "Anything for you, Ally."

...

...

"All right Austin, you have to tell me everything that you remember," Meggi states,with her clipboard in her hand and her pencil hovering above the paper. Trish is standing beside her, holding a recording device. Austin's face is stark white in contrast to the dark shirt he is wearing.

"Can I...can I just have a moment?" Austin asks meekly. Trish and Meggi exchange a look.

"Yeah," Trish says, "Just call us when you are ready. Ally will be here with you."

"I can't do this," Austin mutters as the door shuts behind Trish. He's up from his chair and bouncing on his heels; he can't stay still. "I can't Ally. I didn't even tell YOU the whole story, how will I-"

I cut him off, "-Austin, you can do this." He looks around, uneasy. "Austin, look at me." His eyes still wander, anxious, trying to avoid mine. "Austin," I say in a much sterner tone, "look...at...me." He finally turns his head, his eyes seemingly swirling with different emotions, boring holes into my soul. The intensity of his gaze overwhelms me.

"I-I..." Austin gulps and takes a deep breath. "I'm just not the tough guy everyone thinks I am. I'm not the...I'm not..." He lets out a long, shaky breath.

I gulp.

It was in that moment that I realized I wouldn't be able to understand even a fraction of what Austin has gone through. Austin was always the optimistic and confident one in the group and I've never _ever_ seen him as vulnerable as now.

I've never seen him so insecure.

...

...

**Lol I haven't updated since December of 2015. Heh.**

**I'm sorry this chapter is so short, EVEN IF it's been months since I've last updated. I'm not a big fan of this chapter anyway. School just plain sucks. Also, I haven't really had much inspiration to write lately. **

**I love hearing your feedback, tell me what you liked and didn't like about this chapter!**


End file.
